Hunger may seem worlds away, but the truth is in our own backyards. One in six Tennesseans face hunger daily, and one in three Tennessee households with children report inability to afford enough food, according to the AARP Foundation and the Food Research and Advocacy Center, respectively.

The state food tax, at 5.5 percent, may contribute to this problem. Tennesseans for Fair Taxation, a group dedicated to economic justice, is leading the fight to repeal the food tax and discover other sources of revenue that won’t force low-income families to choose between necessities.

To educate its members and community about how the state’s taxes affect everything from local businesses to daily life, Tennesseans for Fair Taxation will hold its annual meeting on Saturday, October 1st from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Second Presbyterian Church at 3511 Belmont Blvd. Workshops will be given to arm participants with the knowledge they need to advocate for food as a basic necessity that should never be taxed.

Bringing a non-perishable food donation will qualify participants for early-bird registration at $15, or $25 without a food item. Registration fees help cover the cost of facilities, lunch, and travel subsidies for those coming from East and West Tennessee.

Community members are also urged to contribute to AARP’s Drive to End Hunger by making a donation of non-perishable food items to their nearest Walgreens, where they can also receive information about the SNAP program, previously known as food stamps. For more information, visit www.drivetoendhunger.org.

What a crock. I guess this outfit never sat behind someone in a grocery line wielding the red, white & blue card of shame to purchase very unhealthy crap.

Bill Howell

What “Wintermute” fails to understand is that folks who need food stamps, even with the stamps, cannot afford to buy healthy food. The Dept. of Agriculture’s recommended market baskets for different income levels recognize that the only way to get the calories and protein needed for survival by low-income families is to buy more sugars and fats than the diet recommended for others because the high sugar, high fat foods are less expensive than the preferred fruits and vegetables that do not provide sufficient calories.